Help end cattle rustling, Baringo group tells State

Baringo, Kenya: Professionals from Baringo County have urged the National Government to help stop cattle rustling.

Speaking in a Nairobi hotel yesterday, the professionals said cattle rustling  has been a disaster in Baringo since 2004.

According to Kibet Kiptui, the Interim Secretary of Baringo Professionals, the assailants not only steal livestock but also kill people, torch their houses, annex land illegally and vandalise schools rendering the locals homeless and children are unable to go to school.

 “It has been ten years down and over 15,000 livestock have been stolen, 5,000 families displaced and over 30 people killed,” Mr Kiptui said.

He added: “A number of schools have been closed including Kasiela, Ngelecha, Lorumuru, Ramacha, Arabal, Kapindasum and Chemorongion primary schools, denying many children the right to education.”

He said many health facilities have also been shut including Kapindasum and Kasiela dispensaries, putting people’s health at risk.

“People have been displaced in four locations; Rugus, Makutani, Arabal and Kiserian. Those who lived in Rugus location who were displaced in 2005 have never returned to their homes due to insecurity,” Kiptui said.

He said the community’s, police and political leaders efforts to promote peace and end the vice have fallen to deaf ears.

“To President Uhuru Kenyatta, we are certain you may not be getting the right information about the menace. Kindly see to it that Baringo residents are safe,” Kiptui said.

He added, “We want to condemn the utterances of some political leaders for secretly backing the vice,” he said.

New officials

The professionals said it has come to a point the community will not tolerate the vice anymore and called on the county commissioner and the Governor to take action or.

“The Tiaty sub-county commissioner and area chiefs should also ensure that cattle rustlers are brought to book or they resign. There is no way more than 200 bandits leave their sub county fully armed towards Marigat sub-county without the knowledge of the local administrators,” Mr Kiptui said.

He added, “We want to send a message to the Government of Kenya that we are not lesser Kenyans. We should be protected just like any other citizen.

 Whether rustling is a cartel owned by some big fish or is a cultural rustling the government should bring the culprits to book.